Watching porn at work – what are the legal consequences? – The Guardian

‘In a four month period in 2017, there were 24,000 attempts to access pornographic websites in the Houses of Parliament. Westminster may be a special case, but should it be a sackable offence in regular offices?’

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The Guardian, 8th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Consumer panel warns SRA that latest Handbook reforms are recipe for “consumer confusion” – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Consumer Panel (LSCP) has warned that the second phase of reforms to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Handbook would “compound existing complexities” and could further confuse consumers.’

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Legal Futures, 9th January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar Council: New Lord Chancellor must ensure justice is properly resourced and functioning effectively – The Bar Council

Posted January 9th, 2018 in barristers, legal aid, lord chancellor, news by sally

‘Commenting on the appointment of The Rt Hon David Gauke MP as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the Chair of the Bar, Andrew Walker QC, said:

“The Bar Council warmly congratulates David Gauke on his appointment. We look forward to working with the new Lord Chancellor to ensure access to justice is available to all, to ensure that the system for securing the administration of justice is resourced properly and functioning effectively, and to achieve fair and sustainable public funding arrangements for advocacy and legal advice. These matter because they underpin the rule of law and our constitutional principles which the Lord Chancellor has a special responsibility to uphold.”‘

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The Bar Council, 9th January 2018

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

2018 and beyond: Our legal futures… – Legal Futures

Posted January 9th, 2018 in law firms, legal profession, legal services, news, solicitors by sally

‘It’s that time of year again. Thinking about what’s gone before us and planning for the future – looking at what we do, how we do it, and more importantly, who we do it for.’

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Legal Futures, 9th January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Beach huts: chattels, leases, estoppel – Nearly Legal

Posted January 9th, 2018 in estoppel, gifts, housing, leases, news by sally

‘Gilpin and ors v Legg [2017] EWHC 3220 (Ch) is a gift (at least to land law examiners) that is going to keep on giving. This is not just because of the claims discussed – whether beach huts were fixtures or chattels, whether a lease had been granted to the owners of the huts, whether the landowner was estopped from obtaining possession, and even certain pleadings issues (the pleadings do seem to have been a little, erm, jejeune) – but also because HHJ Matthews (who I’m ashamed to say I haven’t come across) added his tuppenies to a couple of controversies, not least making some important observations on the correctness of the Supreme Court judgment in Berrisford v Mexfield. Part of the problem in the case was that the events which underpinned the various claims happened over many years, were oral, and, in some cases, involved transfers of title (the issues of which were neatly stepped over by the judge who referred to bona fide purchasers, so we might be dealing with unregistered land, a point not made clear).’

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Nearly Legal, 8th January 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Self-proclaimed Nazi found guilty of stirring antisemitism in UK – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2018 in inciting religious hatred, news, speeches, threatening behaviour by sally

‘A self-proclaimed Nazi who claimed Britain took the wrong side in the second world war has been convicted of stirring racial hatred against Jewish people.’

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The Guardian, 8th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Abingdon vicar guilty of ‘spiritually abusing’ boy – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2018 in Church of England, clergy, disciplinary procedures, news, tribunals by sally

‘A Church of England vicar has been convicted by a tribunal of spiritually abusing a teenage boy.’

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BBC News, 8th January 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rape victim who overdosed on diet pills did not receive appropriate care because A&E was overcrowded, inquest hears – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 9th, 2018 in health, inquests, mental health, news, rape, suicide, victims by sally

‘A rape victim who sent a final text about overdosing on diet pills did not receive appropriate care because A&E was overcrowded, an inquest heard.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Wales smacking ban plan goes to public consultation – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2018 in consultations, corporal punishment, news, Wales by sally

‘Plans to outlaw smacking children in Wales are going out to a three-month consultation.’

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BBC News, 9th January 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Plastic microbeads ban enters force in UK – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2018 in environmental protection, news, waste, water by sally

‘Plastic microbeads can no longer be used in cosmetics and personal care products in the UK, after a long-promised ban came into effect on Tuesday. The ban initially bars the manufacture of such products and a ban on sales will follow in July.’

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The Guardian, 9th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted January 9th, 2018 in legislation by tracey

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Sites under Section 128) (Amendment) Order 2018

The Non-Domestic Rating (Rates Retention) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Bank held negligent for failing to ensure promissory note was properly signed – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 8th, 2018 in banking, documents, negligence, news, witnesses by sally

‘The bank arranger of a $650 million Islamic bond financing deal has been found negligent for failing to ensure that a promissory note, used as security, was properly signed.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 8th January 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Celebrities are given a smidgen of privacy at a difficult time in their lives shocker – Transparency Project

Posted January 8th, 2018 in civil procedure rules, family courts, media, news, privacy by sally

‘The Sun are very very cross. Why is that? Well…. Here’s the headline:

REDKNAPP DIVORCE SECRET
Jamie and Louise Redknapp’s divorce papers to be kept secret as a judge blocks the release of documents.’

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Transparency Project, 6th January 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Protection from neighbours – no duty – Nearly Legal

Posted January 8th, 2018 in appeals, children, housing, local government, negligence, news, social services by sally

‘What, if any, duty is owed by a local authority to children to protect them from abuse and harassment by neighbours? This court of appeal decision suggests none in negligence.’

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Nearly Legal, 7th January 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Leader urges police to use Vagrancy Act 1824 ahead of Royal Wedding – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 8th, 2018 in anti-social behaviour, local government, news, police, royal family, vagrancy by sally

‘The Leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead has written to the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley calling for the use of The Vagrancy Act 1824 or the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 in tackling anti-social behaviour including aggressive begging and intimidation ahead of the Royal Wedding in May this year.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th January 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

A fork in the road – Cafcass and their pathways – Transparency

Posted January 8th, 2018 in domestic violence, family courts, news, parental rights, social services by sally

‘A little while ago we wrote some about Cafcass’ new proposed High Conflict pathway, which had been hailed in the press as a big thing in terms of dealing effectively with parental alienation. We had been offered an interview with the Cafcass Principal Social Worker, which had cleared up some of our questions but which had raised others.’

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Transparency Project, 6th January 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Historical injustice for persons born out of wedlock and their right to British Citizenship still lingers on – Legal Voice

Posted January 8th, 2018 in birth, children, citizenship, cohabitation, news by sally

‘This article concerns only one of several historical injustices in British nationality law. For decades, it discriminated against people born out of wedlock to British fathers by not allowing those fathers to pass on their nationality to their child.’

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Legal Voice, 8th January 2018

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Obliged companies are to publish their first non-financial strategic reports in the first half of 2018 – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 8th, 2018 in bribery, company law, corruption, news, regulations, reports by sally

‘Traded companies, banks and insurers with a calendar financial year will be assessing how to comply with new non-financial reporting obligations over the coming months, including the obligation to report on anti-bribery and anti-corruption matters.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 5th January 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Crowdsourcing “can accurately predict court decisions 80% of time” says study – Legal Futures

Posted January 8th, 2018 in civil justice, judgments, legal aid, news by sally

‘Crowdsourcing is an accurate predictor of court judgments, at best proving accurate in over eight out of ten cases, according to a rigorous analysis.’

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Legal Futures, 8th January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

ICO backs refusal of council to supply legal opinion over certificate of lawfulness – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 8th, 2018 in disclosure, freedom of information, local government, news by sally

‘The Information Commissioner last month upheld a decision by a London borough to refuse to supply a copy of a legal opinion obtained by the council relating to an application to grant a certificate of lawfulness for a property.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th January 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk